BJP MLC N Ravikumar, has ignited yet another political storm following a controversial statement targeting Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh.
Speaking near the Mahatma Gandhi statue close to Vidhana Soudha after a protest on Tuesday, July 1, Ravikumar said that Shalini “works for the government in the night and all day for the Chief Minister.”
The IAS Officers’ Association has demanded an apology from Ravikumar. “The Chief Secretary holds the highest civil office in Karnataka and is a widely respected officer known for her integrity, commitment and distinguished public service. The remarks made in public are vulgar, defamatory, and a direct affront to the dignity of her office and the larger civil service. It further leads to denigrating public institutions and the trust they hold,” the Association said in a statement.
The Association demanded a public and unconditional apology from Ravikumar, and also that he be booked under relevant provisions of the law. The Association also demanded that the Legislative Council adopt a formal resolution of censure.
The statement also mentioned that Ravikumar had recently targeted Kalaburagi Deputy Commissioner Fauzia Tarannum, and said that the MLC’s behaviour “reflects a pattern of targeting and vilifying officers in public service”.
Ravikumar made offensive remarks against the Kalaburagi Deputy Commissioner Fauzia Tarannum during the BJP’s Kalaburagi Chalo rally. “I don’t know whether the IAS officer is from Pakistan or from here,” he said. The Karnataka High Court directed him to apologise to the DC for these remarks.
KPCC General Secretary S Manohar has filed a complaint with High Ground police, stating that the offensive remarks were made in a public setting.
Women’s rights organization Odanadi Seva Samsthe, based in Mysuru, has lodged a formal complaint with the Director General of Police, and has also petitioned the Karnataka State Commission for Women and the Registrar of the High Court.